I am responding to the first inquiry question, "How can we get kids
involved in the art of their community that has a tie to the environment?" I
think that the most obvious answer is making the art fun for the kids. Kids
need to be made aware that art can be fun and that they can make a difference
in their community. I think that kids today take on the all too familiar
attitude of," Why should I worry about the environment? Someone else will
take care of it."
I think that we can raise awarness by giving the kids hands on experiences
with the environment. We need to turn the environment into art. For
example, take a walk outside and show the students the landscape and natural
surroundings. Have the students take their pencils and drawing pads outside
and draw what they see. Maybe, some of the kids will get the point that the
environment is actually art and that we need to preserve its beauty. Younger
kids can also get in on the fun by doing such projects as finger painting
pictures of different types of leaves, flowers, or animals. The
possibilities are really endless. A thematic unit could also be planned
around an ecological theme as well. For example, a unit on the rain forest or
the ocean could be done, incorporating several art projects. I think the key
is making art fun and focus on the simple aspects of our earth, as soon as
things get too complicated, kids lose all interest.